Catch for screen doors and the like



L. M. PRATT.

CATCH FOR SCREEN DOORS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1921.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

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' fltto' mg LEWIS MARON PRATT, OF ELDORAD O, KANSA$.

GATOI-IIOB SCREEN DOOR-S AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 21,

Y '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs M. PRATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eldorado, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful (latch for Screen Doors and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a catch for screen doors or the like and is designed more espe cially as an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent No. 1,379,040 issued to me on May 24, 1921.

It is an object of the invention to combine with the catch a means whereby the door can be fastened in shut position and held closed until the catch is released, the catch holding means being simple and compact in construction and the entire structure being such as to be applied readily to an ordinary screen door or the like.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will. appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the com bination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construct-ion hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodimlent of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a portion of a door having the catch applied thereto, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the inner side of the catch detached from the door.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, Figure 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a portion of a door having a recess 2 cut into one face thereof and extending to the edge of the door. This recess is adapted to be closed by a plate 3 having a flange 4 for covering that portion of the recess opening through the edge of the door. In this flange lis provided an opening 5. Secured to one end portion of the flange is a spring strip 6 the free end of which bears against a ball 7 which is mount ed within the opening 5 and is capable of rotating therein, the diameter of the ball being slightly greater than the diameter of the opening 5 so that the spring 6 cannot Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented liliar. 7, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 486,358.

thrust the ball through the opening although it holds it normally projected beyond the flange 4.

A stem 8 is mounted for rotation in the plate 3 and has a knob 9 secured to the outer end thereof while fastened to the inner end of this stem is a button l0. A spring washer 11 is interposed between the button and the plate 1 and serves to hold the button frictionally against accidental rotation. This button is so located that when it is turned in one direction one end thereof will move against the free end portion of the spring 6 and hold the spring against inward movement and thus fasten the ball 7 in its proj ected position. By giving the button a onequarter turn, however, the spring will be free to yield inwardly when pressure is exerted against the ball from outside the door.

A recess 12 is formed in the door casing 13 and a strike plate 14 is secured to the casing and has an opening 15 therein opening into the recess 12 and located to receive the projecting portion of the ball 7 when the door is moved to closed position. Obviously when the door is thus closed the button 10 can be rotated to hold the spring 6 against movement and, consequently, the ball 7 cannot be withdrawn from the opening 15 and the door will therefore be fastened in its closed position. By turning the knob 9 so as to release the spring 6 from button 10. and then pulling or pushing on the knob the screen door can be opened. During this action the projecting portion of the ball 7 will roll out of engagement with the strike plate.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A catch for screen doors and the like comprising a cover plate having an apertured flange, a spring strip secured at one end to the flange, a ball of greater diameter than the aperture in the flange and held normally seated in the aperture by the pressure of the spring strip thereagainst, a button, and means for rotating the but-ton to hold the spring strip and the ball against movement relative to the flange.

2. A catch for screen doors and the like including a cover plate having an apertured flange, a spring strip secured at one end. to the flange, a ball of greater diameter than and normally seated within the aperture, said ball being retained in the aperture by the spring strip, a stem mounted for rotation in the cover plate, a knob at one and theroofl In testimony that I claim the foregoillg as a button earned by the stem and movable my own, I have hereto affixed my slg neture into and out of engagement wlth the spring 111 the presence of two wltnesses.

strip to hold the strip against movement LEWIS MARON PRATT. relative to the flange, and means for fric- Witnesses:

tionally holding the stem and button against 7M. K. JOHNSON,

occidental rotation. D. W. OW. 

